[From the June 2012 Mazama Bulletin]
by Ed Johann
On Sunday, May 13, 1973, six blind teenagers equipped themselves with ropes and crampons to scale the tallest mountain in Oregon. These brave, adventurous young people attended the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver, Washington. The six students included 12-year-olds Viola Cruz and Theresa Clay, 14-year-olds Dan Davidson and Bernie Buhl, and 18-year-olds Les Robbins and Dean Atkinson.
It was with some hesitation that I agreed to lead these enthusiastic youngsters up to the summit of Oregon’s highest mountain. I’ve had years of experience as a mountain guide in the United States and abroad, but never have I had the responsibility of a group like this one. I had visited the students at their school several times to talk to them and let them handle some of the mountaineering equipment.
Two experienced mountaineers accompanied each blind student on the trek up the 11,235-ft. snow-capped Mt. Hood. The party left from Timberline Lodge at 6,000 ft. and were under the direction of myself, Ed Johann, a Portland, Oregon fireman at the time, long associated with the Mazamas Mountaineering organization and the Mountain Rescue Service.
We equipped them well and took more precautions than usual to ensure their safety and protect them from the elements. We wanted to give them a mountaineering experience that they would remember happily. According to Bryan Bernow, superintendent of the school, “An object of the climb is to prove that you needn’t be able to see something to enjoy it.”
I learned that they had been getting into physical condition for this venture by running a course laid out with lengths of string. They would place one of their hands on the string to aid them as they jogged along. Mr. Berhow said that the students were really excited about the climb. I needed and obtained help for this venture from a few mountaineering friends. I also had the assistance of my two sons, Joe and Ed Jr., who had had many mountain ascents in the Northwest Cascades and elsewhere. I was also able to acquire the needed technical equipment for the kids and arrange the transportation.
For safety on the mountain, I tied everyone together in rope teams as we traveled upwards. The adults traveling with us used flashlights in the darkness to aid progress. The welfare of our young companions was the main concern of this climb. If anyone became tired or wanted to quit, we would all turn back. If the weather turned bad, the trip would be called off.
As prepared as we could be, our attempt began at Timberline Lodge. In the darkness of the early morning, we made sure that each student had the proper equipment needed in their pack sacks. The group started in good weather from the lodge at 2:30 a.m., the youngsters noticing the brisk, cold night winds. After the rising of the sun, it was necessary to remind them often to apply sunscreen lotion.
We had a slow, but steady pace set, and except for the sounds of boots crunching into the snow, it was quiet while we were traveling. As the dark, silent morning turned to semi-darkness, and streaks of gray began to show, a new day was born. Now with the warm morning sun shining, members of the group began to chatter as the warmth embraced them. The adults described the wondrous scenery to their young friends as we continued our steady pace.
In the steep or difficult places, we set up hand lines as well as being roped together in teams. Safety was the number one factor. After reaching the higher mountain slopes, efforts became tiring. We had a few rest stops during which we ate snacks of cookies and candy. Sunscreen lotion was also applied at these times. The students were unable to appreciate the various bright colors of packs and clothing spread out on the white snow during these rest stops. Viola said the students were able to eat lunch, despite the rotten egg smell slope of sulfur fumes from the crater, which sometimes spoils climbers’ appetites. “The food was good and we really were hungry,” she said.
The last torturous feet to the summit were up “The Chute,” an agonizingly steep slope that has claimed lives in the past. Special protection was provided here by setting lines anchored with pickets in the snow. The blind youngsters met the challenge with guts and determination, more than I’ve ever seen from any neophyte climbers. Near the summit we were involved with some very steep pitches and some precipitous sections. But, after much exertion and encouragement, we finally managed to get everyone on the summit; elevation 11,235 feet. The youngsters were all very excited that they had accomplished this great feat. It took 12 hours to reach the summit; the same amount of time usually needed to make the round trip. Miserable snow conditions, not the kids, slowed the party.
The girls were so tired they made the summit on sheer determination, nothing else. We’ve never been so impressed—to see a wisp of a little girl doing what strong, grown men sometimes have been unable to do. We were pretty choked up standing on top of that mountain with those incredible kids. We all felt good, really good.
By midday the snow had turned to mush under the springtime sun and the climbers sank to their knees with each step on the descent. Ski poles, carried by the blind students for more stability instead of the usual ice ax, helped keep the youngsters from stumbling at that point.
What was the favorite part of the climb for the students? “Going down,” they all agreed. The group, despite the messy snow, was able to glide and slide down the safer inclines. On the final stretch, a broad blanket of snow stretching thousands of feet in a gentle incline, two of the blind boys took the lead, using a ski pole to find the way. The trip back to Timberline Lodge took about four hours.
Viola, describing the climbers’ triumphant feeling, said “I did what I couldn’t believe I’d do, stand almost at the top of the world for a few minutes.”
I have climbed many peaks higher than this one, but because of these students, this will remain the high point of my mountaineering career.
News of this climb is mentioned in publications such as Mount Hood by Jack Grauer, Blindskills Inc., Salem, Oregon, Hazardous Adventures by Ed Johann, International Herald Tribune, Paris, France and newspapers in Oregon and Washington.